Ad tech company TubeMogul is launching an ad campaign that alleges Google has 'conflicts of interest' and 'walled gardens'

TubeMogul,
the public ad tech company that specializes in video advertising,
is launching an ad campaign on Monday that attacks its main
competitor, Google.

In a series of video ads, print ads, and outdoor posters,
TubeMogul alleges Google has a "conflict of interest" when it
comes to advertising and that it has built up a "walled garden"
from the rest of the ad tech industry.

In a press release, TubeMogul also points out that it does not
own media or make money from publishers in any way — unlike
Google (although the majority of the biggest digital players,
from Facebook to AOL, also have this kind of full-stack
technology.)

Both video executions in the "Independence Matters" campaign see
someone using Google's voice search feature.

In the first spot, the person asks: "What is a walled garden?"
Nothing happens, so they then asks "Uhhh ... show me articles
about walled gardens in ad tech." When Google still doesn't bring
up any search results, they then search for "walled garden
business models." Google returns an image search for "business
models" and stock imagery of people in meetings.

"This is ridiculous!" The person says, before the ad invites the
viewer to "learn why #IndependenceMatters" on a dedicated website.

The second video ad takes on the same format. The person first
asks to be shown articles about "conflict of interest," but
Google returns an image search results page about "Civil war
conflict."

Next they ask about "advertising conflict of interest," but
nothing happens. "What about misaligned business incentives" they
ask, but still Google doesn't respond.

In the press release, TubeMogul explains its reasons for
launching the campaign:

There is an alphabet of reasons to love Google. For many years,
the company defined openness and innovation. But in advertising,
Google has made a conscious decision to wall itself off from the
rest of the industry. While that is Google’s decision to make, it
means that an advertiser centralizing buys within their walls
risks losing access to some of the most exciting advertising
opportunities out there. And that’s not all they risk losing.

At TubeMogul, we believe independence best serves brand
advertisers and breaks down barriers.

Here is what the poster element of the campaign will look like:

TubeMogul

And this is the ad TubeMogul is placing in US advertising trade
press: